Active clinical trials for "Melanoma"

This study will examine the effectiveness of treating advanced melanoma with special tumor-fighting cells taken from the patient's blood or tumor and grown in the laboratory. The cells are given along with infusions of a growth factor-like substance called interleukin-2 (IL-2) and an experimental vaccine called fowlpox gp100. This vaccine consists of a peptide (part of a protein) called gp100 that is often found in melanoma tumors and chicken virus (fowlpox) that has been altered so that it cannot produce illness in humans. Patients 16 years of age and older with melanoma that has spread beyond the original site and that does not respond to standard treatment may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and physical examination, chest x-ray, electrocardiogram, blood and urine tests, and x-rays and scans to the evaluate the extent and size of the tumor. Because the experimental preparation is based on tissue type, only patients with tissue type HLA-A*0201 may participate. Tissue type is determined by a blood test. Participants undergo the following procedures: Leukapheresis, a procedure for collecting lymphocytes (white blood cells): Using this procedure, special cells with good tumor-fighting ability are selected and removed for later re-infusion into the patient. To collect the cells, blood is withdrawn through a needle in an arm vein and directed through a catheter into a cell-separating machine. The lymphocytes are removed and the rest of the blood is returned to the body through the same needle. Alternatively, lymphocytes may also be collected from biopsied tumor tissue, obtained either with a needle or by a small cut in the tumor. G-CSF injections: This growth factor is injected under the skin every day for 5 days to stimulate white blood cell production. Catheter placement: Upon admission to the Clinical Center for treatment, the patient has a catheter (plastic tube) placed in a vein in the neck or arm for giving chemotherapy and other medicines, for infusing the lymphocytes, and for collecting blood samples. Leukapheresis: Repeated in the hospital to collect and store blood that may be needed in the rare event that the patient's blood components do not recover after chemotherapy. Chemotherapy: A week before the lymphocyte infusion, patients receive a 1-hour infusion of cyclophosphamide for 2 days and then a 15- to 30-minute infusion of fludarabine for 5 days to suppress the immune system and thereby prevent rejection of the infused lymphocytes. Vaccine and lymphocyte delivery: The vaccine is injected through the catheter, followed by a 30-minute infusion of the lymphocytes. IL-2 and G-CSF: Patients receive IL-2 infusions every 8 hours for up to 5 days after the cell infusion to help keep the cells alive, and G-CSF injections under the skin every day after the cell infusion until white cells increase to a sufficient number. The entire hospital stay is usually 12 to 16 days. About 4 weeks after the lymphocyte infusion, patients are re-admitted to the hospital for about 10 days for a second vaccine injection and course of IL-2 infusions. Between 2 and 4 weeks after completing the full treatment regimen, patients return to NIH for evaluation. Those whose tumors have shrunk or remained stable may repeat the entire treatment regimen two times. Those whose tumors continued to grow may be re-treated with infusion of lymphocytes through an artery instead of a vein if their tumors receive blood from a major artery. If this is not feasible, or if it is tried without success, the patients will be taken off the study.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as ABI-007, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well ABI-007 works in treating patients with inoperable (unresectable) locally recurrent or metastatic melanoma.

RATIONALE: Denileukin diftitox may be able to make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well denileukin diftitox works in treating patients with metastatic melanoma or metastatic kidney cancer.

RATIONALE: Biological therapies such as cellular adoptive immunotherapy use different ways to stimulate the immune system and stop cancer cells from growing. Treating a person's white blood cells in the laboratory and then reinfusing them may cause a stronger immune response and kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of biological therapy in treating patients who have metastatic melanoma.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made by inserting a laboratory-treated gene into a person's white blood cells may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vaccine therapy and to see how well it works in treating patients with stage IV or recurrent malignant melanoma.

RATIONALE: Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Vaccine therapy may be effective in treating stage IV melanoma. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of vaccine therapy in treating patients who have stage IV melanoma.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether vaccination with melanoma antigen peptides [Melan-A/Mart-1 (both EAA and ELA), NY-ESO-1b analog, Long NY-ESO-1 LP and MAGE-A10] and Montanide, CpG adjuvants and low dose rIL-2 can induce an immune response in melanoma patients and to assess the safety of this vaccination.

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of temsirolimus when given together with bryostatin 1 in treating patients with unresectable or metastatic solid tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temsirolimus and bryostatin 1, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a person's white blood cells mixed with tumor proteins may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Biological therapies such as denileukin diftitox may be able to deliver cancer-killing substances directly to melanoma cells. Combining vaccine therapy with biological therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of combining vaccine therapy with denileukin diftitox in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV melanoma.

RATIONALE: Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: This randomized phase I/II trial is studying three different doses of a vaccine and comparing them to see how well they work in treating patients with stage IIIB, stage IIIC, or stage IV melanoma.